Michigan State vs Kansas State March Madness Betting Preview: Spartans Favored Against Surprising Kansas State

None of the Players Were Alive the Last Time Kansas State Met Michigan State

This was not the matchup those making March Madness picks were expecting. However, Michigan State took out Marquette and Kansas State topped Kentucky to reach the Sweet 16.

Michigan State has won the last three times playing in a Sweet 16 games, even though the Spartans haven’t been to the regionals since 2019.

The last time the Spartans played at Madison Square Garden in the NCAA tournament, Michigan State topped top-seeded Virginia in the 2014 regional semifinals before falling to UConn in the regional final.

Coming off an upset of No. 2 seed Marquette the Michigan State vs Kansas State March Madness betting preview lists the Spartans as the favorite.

No. 3 Kansas State was picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason poll. However, first-year head coach Jerome Tang used the transfer portal to speed up the process of being a conference and national contender.

The Wildcats already took out of the top programs in men’s college basketball and now look to end Michigan State’s quest to make another Final Four run.

When looking at the college basketball injury report, both teams are in pretty good shape from an injury standpoint.

Kansas State is 13th in the coaches’ poll and 15th in the Associated Press poll. Michigan State received one 25th-place vote in the coaches’ poll, but was not among the four Big Ten teams to receive votes in the writers’ poll.

According to the odds to win March Madness, Michigan State (+2500) is ninth in the odds to win the national title after being priced at +5000 before the Marquette game. Kansas State (+3000) is tied for 11th.

Michigan State: Experience Matters

While there are some dynamic freshmen playing starring roles for teams expected to compete for a national title, Michigan State proved that there is still a place for a team with veteran players at key positions.

Seniors Tyson Walker and Joey Hauser combined for 37 points while junior A.J. Hoggard added 13 points and four assists as the Spartans topped favored Marquette to reach the Sweet 16.

Walker had 17 of his 23 points in the second half to lead Michigan State to victory.

Five of the seven Michigan State players who were on the court for at least 10 minutes in the Marquette matchup were either freshmen or sophomores. That has played a role in the Michigan State vs Kansas State March Madness betting preview favoring the Spartans.

Michigan State is 5-8 against the college basketball betting lines in its last 13 games.

Kansas State: Homecoming for Quartet of Wildcats

Perhaps it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that a school located in Manhattan has four players from New York on the roster.

That will make for a rather large cheering section when Markquis Nowell, Ismael Massoud, Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Tykei Greene head back to New York when Kansas State heads to Madison Square Garden for the East Region semifinals.

Nowell had 27 points and nine assists, Tomlin had 12 points on 6 of 8 shooting and Massoud had three points and two assists off the bench as Kansas State topped Kentucky 75-69 to punch a ticket to MSG. Michigan State’s Walker is also a New York native so there will be a homecoming feel to this game.

The Wildcats won despite being outrebounded 44-25 and that includes a 19-4 differential on the offensive glass. Of course, playing against the nation’s leading rebounder in Oscar Tshiebwe had something to do with those numbers. The Wildcats countered that with 11 steals as Nowell and David N’Guessan had three steals each.

This will mark the third time since 1989 that the Wildcats are headed to the regionals. The Michigan State vs Kansas State March Madness betting preview has the Wildcats listed as the underdog despite being the higher seed. This is a team that has been defying the odds all season long.

Five of the last six games played by Marquette went under the NCAA basketball odds total.

Handicapping the Game

Michigan State and Kansas State have met just three times since 1963 with the most recent matchup being a 75-43 win by the Spartans in 1996. They have never met in the postseason.

Kansas State hasn’t faced a team from the Big Ten in the NCAA tournament since losing to Wisconsin in 2011.

When looking at the college basketball team stats, the teams are 11th and 12th in adjusted offensive efficiency among the 16 teams remaining in the tournament according to the Pomeroy college basketball ratings database so don’t expect too many offensive fireworks in this matchup.

Kansas State is 23-11 against the spread, the best mark in the Big 12. Michigan State is just 17-16 against the Las Vegas odds.

Michigan State is 17-3 when listed by the sportsbook as the favorite. Kansas State is 6-9 when listed as the underdog. (Odds change frequently, be sure to check for the most up to date changes.)

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